Hearing: Nurse Margaret Amao is accused of misconduct after she allegedly threatened her manager

A nurse threatened to cut her manager 'into little pieces', gouge her eyes out and bury her in the ground, a hearing was told today.

Margaret Amao, who was employed as a practice nurse by Newham Primary Care Trust, is also alleged to have told Kathleen Booth that she would kill her after accusing her of being a 'racist b*****d', the Nursing and Midwifery Council was told.

Miss Amao, who worked at the Cumberland Medical Centre in London, then threatened to pour a urine sample over her boss in front of patients.

On July 13, 2009, an argument broke out after Miss Amao allegedly refused to do a urine test for a patient who had gone to the centre asking for a pregnancy test and a check-up for a urinary tract infection.

Miss Booth, who as practice manager was responsible for overseeing the general management of the clinic, asked Miss Amao if she would see to the woman, known as Patient A.

But Miss Booth claims the nurse refused to look up or acknowledge her request.

Minutes later, Miss Amao began to shout, pace up and down and ask who had said she had refused to see the patient, saying in earshot of the waiting room, 'it is not my fault that the patient is pregnant'.

Appeals for her to calm down fell on deaf ears. Miss Booth told the hearing that she felt 'anxious and intimidated'.

The hearing was told that Miss Amao then picked up the hazard bag containing the urine test and threw it on the floor.

She then allegedly pointed at the urine sample and told Miss Booth: 'Look at that, I will pick it up and pour it all over you.'

Miss Booth told the hearing that, after she went outside the clinic to try and calm down, she was followed by Miss Amao who started to walk around her until her face was inches from her own.

Struggling to recall the incident and breaking down, she said: 'Miss Amao's nose was almost touching mine when she shouted, "who do you think you are?"

'As she said this she pointed her finger at me and continued shouting madly and was very aggressive.

'She continued shouting as she said, "I will kill you, see what I will do to you, I will cut you up into little pieces and bury the pieces in the ground."

'As she made these statements she pointed to the floor where she was standing. Her face was still inches from mine.

'She threatened to gouge my eyes out and made chopping motions with her hands in front of my face.

'She began pacing up and down and threatened to kill me. She said, "do not poke your fingers at me, I will pick your eyes out."

'I was very scared of her. I thought she was going to hurt me. She was really aggressive and was completely in my face. I was backed up against the wall and got a sharp pain in my back.

'I was told that the colour drained out of my face and when I mentioned that to the policeman he said it would have been fear.'

It is alleged that Miss Amao then followed Miss Booth back into her office and after being told the police would be called she said: 'Call the police you racist bastard, I am not an illegal immigrant'.

When two shocked patients asked Miss Booth for complaint forms to complain about Miss Amao's behaviour, she allegedly accused her manager of conspiring with patients against her, saying: 'You see what I am going to do to you, you racist.'

Miss Booth told the hearing that the incident had had a profound effect on her, causing her to have nightmares and that, despite seeing a counsellor she is constantly stressed at work.

She said: 'I was having nightmares. I was seeing things. I am still seeing a counsellor. Over the last few years I have been unable to do my job properly and concentrate.

'I seem to get stressed very quickly and I think it is because of the bad dreams, nightmares. I keep seeing bad things.'

Police were called the following day but no further action was taken against Miss Amao.

She denies all the allegations and denies that her fitness to practice is impaired as a result.

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Nurse threatened to 'cut manager into little pieces and gouge her eyes out'